Things to do in Tokyo today

With its 300 to 500 vendors, this is by far Tokyo’s biggest flea market and it takes place nearly every weekend in the parking lot of Oi Racecourse, also known as Tokyo City Keiba. With an extensive selection of goods, it’s not difficult to spend half a day here – and given the tempting prices, you definitely won’t leave empty-handed. Expect to find daily necessities, rare collector’s items, clothing, accessories, handmade goods, home decor, toys and even a small selection of antiques. And since shopping can be quite tiring, hungry bargain hunters can restore their energy levels by munching on light meals and snacks from food trucks onsite. Do note that the market will be cancelled in the case of rain.

Step into the masterful world of Japan’s most celebrated woodblock print artist this spring at ‘Hokusai: Another Story’, held at Shibuya’s Tokyu Plaza. Utilising the latest in high-definition imaging, spatial audio and Sony’s state-of-the-art sensory technology, the exhibition promises to bring Hokusai’s iconic works to life. The main highlight of the exhibition is the vivid scenery of Hokusai's ‘Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji’, with ultra-high-definition visuals and Sony's Crystal LED displays recreating the intricate details of the work. Visualise, hear and feel the sensation of jumping on puddles or walking on dry sand, thanks in part to haptic floor technology developed by Sony PCL. Then, follow a path illuminated by bamboo lights to reach a room where you can browse master replicas of iconic ukiyo-e prints. Each replica is crafted using DTIP (3D Texture Image Processing) technology that scans every fibre of the traditional washi-paper originals to preserve the works digitally. This multisensory experience allows visitors to not only see, but truly feel, the world Hokusai depicted. Tickets must be purchased in advance through the event website.

For 11 months of every year, Nezu Shrine doesn't attract all that much attention from the outside world. Then spring rolls around, and its remarkable crop of azaleas burst into bloom. The shrine precincts are home to some 3,000 azalea plants – roughly 100 varieties in total, including rare breeds such as the black karafune flower – and has to find space for at least as many flower aficionados during the month-long Bunkyo Tsutsuji Matsuri.  Another highlight of Nezu Shrine is its red torii gate tunnel, similar to the ones at Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine but in a much smaller scale. For the latest flowering status, visit Nezu Shrine's Instagram.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building in Shinjuku now serves as the backdrop for a jaw-dropping and record-breaking projection mapping show. Covering an area of a whopping 13,905sqm, the after-dark spectacle has been certified by Guinness World Records as the largest permanent display of its kind in the world. The nightly showcase features a range of visual wonders created by a mix of local and international artists. Some shows are inspired by Tokyo's rich history, while others draw on themes like the lunar cycle.  Currently, on weeknights, you can catch striking visuals sychronised to ‘Idol’ and 'Butai ni tatte' by hit Japanese pop duo Yoasobi as well as 'Pac-Man eats Tokyo' ‘Lunar Cycle’, 'Synergy', 'Poetic Structures' and 'Golden Fortune'. On weekends, you can look forward to a showcase featuring 'Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo!', the aforementioned ‘Butai ni tatte (Yoasobi)’ as well as ‘Tokyo Concerto'. New from December 2024, is 'TYO337', a display featuring motifs of traditional Japanese perforing arts such as Kabuki paired with electronic beats. Shows take place every night at half-hour intervals from 6.30pm (Apr from 7pm, May-Aug from 7.30pm) to 9.45pm. For more details and to check the full programme of daily projection mapping shows, visit here.

Head up to Ibaraki's Hitachi Seaside Park from mid-April to early May and see a whopping 5.3 million 'baby blue eyes' – also known as nemophila – flowers in full bloom. The hilly grounds span 3.5 hectares and are almost completely covered with the little blue blossoms, making for a pretty spectacular sight. The blooms are usually at their best from mid- to late April, but they are still a magnificent sight if you catch them a bit earlier or even right after peak bloom. According to this year's forecast, the flowers will be in their full glory between April 20 to 27. Along with the flowers, the park has gone all-out with blue food and drink for you to enjoy during your visit. Sample blue ramune-soda-flavoured soft cream served with nemophila-shaped cookies, pretty blue lemonade, lattes and even a blue-tinged curry ramen. While you're at it, pick up a few souvenirs to take home with you including nemophila macarons, cookies and jewellery featuring the flower of the season.  The park is home to various other spring flowers, too, including daffodils and tulips, which also bloom between April and May.

This cherry blossom festival, one of Tokyo's most popular, takes place along the 700m-long Chidorigafuchi Ryokudo promenade near the Imperial Palace, around which there are some 250 sakura trees. During the day, you can take a stroll along the Chidorigafuchi moat or even rent a rowboat to see the cherry blossoms from the water. By night, you can enjoy the pink flowers lit up with LEDs. If you’re interested in viewing the cherry blossoms from the water, boat rentals are available but require payment. Fortunately, a new pre-reservations system is available from this year, designed to minimise wait times. Advance reservations cost ¥10,000 per boat and allow you to select your preferred date and time (change of date and time can be made until 8pm of the day before the desired date, availability permitting). A portion of the proceeds will go to the Chiyoda Ward Sakura Fund for the conservation of the Chidorigafuchi landscape. Same-day tickets purchased onsite at the Chidorigafuchi boat pier cost ¥1,600 per boat for one hour of use, which is inarguably the more affordable option. Be sure to get in line fast though, as tickets will be distributed from 9am daily and are sure to run out quickly.  For those who can’t get a hold of tickets during the peak period between March 29 and April 8, shorter 30-minute rides are available for ¥800 outside the event period. For the sakura illuminations that start at sunset, expect lights out at 9pm. The boats, on the other hand, will be...

Looking to get into sake? If so, then this huge sake event at Roppongi Hills is a great place to start. The event features around 120 breweries across 12 days from April 18 to April 29. Whether you’re a sake newbie or long-time connoisseur, this festival is for everyone to enjoy. Foodies should also take note, as fifteen gourmet restaurants will be whipping up sake-pairing dishes at the event. Tickets cost ¥4,200 and include a starter set with an event-exclusive sake glass plus 12 tokens that can be used to redeem drinks and food. You can purchase more tokens in sets of ten (¥1,600), 25 (¥3,900), 40 (¥6,000) or 100 (¥15,000). Tickets are available in advance on the website or at the door on the day of the festival.

Flower and Light Movement is an initiative by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aimed at creating new and attractive – and eye-catchingly large – flowerbeds in city parks. The project is returning to Toneri Park in Adachi from April 11 to April 29 for a spectacular display of illuminated baby blue eyes (nemophilia). Both this vast field and the park’s around 1,000 cherry trees will be illuminated from 6pm to 8pm (until 8.30pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). With several photo spots on site, be sure to bring a camera for that perfect Instagram photo-op.

The annual Fuji Shibazakura Festival is returning this spring with a staggering 500,000 pink, purple and white blooms from April 12 to May 25. With its seemingly endless fields of shibazakura (pink moss) and view of majestic Mt Fuji on the horizon, it's no wonder that this annual spring festival out at Lake Motosu in Yamanashi typically attracts hordes of Tokyoites over Golden Week.  In addition to the eight kinds of shibazakura, you’ll get to see other colourful blooms like cherry blossoms, grape hyacinth, poppy anemone and forsythia. While you’re here, it’s also worth checking out the adjacent Peter Rabbit-themed English Garden, decorated with around 300 kinds of plants as well as figurines of the characters from the storybook.  One of the best ways to get here is by highway bus. A round-trip ticket including festival entry fee starts from ¥8,800, with the bus departing from Ueno Station Park Exit, in front of Tokyu Plaza Ginza and in front of Kogakuin University near Shinjuku Station West exit. It takes you directly to the Fuji Shibazakura Festival in around two and a half hours. We recommend making reservations in advance because seats can fill up quickly during spring. Otherwise, you can opt for the two-hour-long Limited Express Fuji Excursion train from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station, and hop on the Fuji Shibazakura liner shuttle bus for another 50 minutes to get to the venue.

Finnish designer and sculptor Tapio Wirkkala (1915–1985) was a major figure in post-war design. Influenced by his stays in Lapland, the northern part of Finland, his work encompasses a wide range of fields, including product design, sculpture, graphic design and architecture. The breadth of his talent is reflected in the diversity of materials he used, especially glass, which made him known internationally. Wirkkala’s most famous creations include the design for Finlandia vodka and the Ultima Thule kitchen glass collection for Iittala. Both glass creations required thousands of hours of work to develop a glassblowing technique capable of producing the appearance of dripping ice cubes. The artistry involved in these masterpieces can be studied at the artist’s first major solo exhibition in Japan, being held at the Tokyo Station Gallery from April 5 to June 15. The retrospective celebrates the 110th anniversary of Wirkkala’s birth and focuses on his creative process and the environments that inspired him. The exhibition brings together approximately 300 works, including rarely exhibited plywood sculptures, design objects, and prototypes.